Woody Paige

Woody Paige: No. 13 jersey luckily linked Tensi with "best friend"

On Monday night, in the southwest corner of the stadium's second deck, amid the orange-and-blue sea of $84.95 replica jerseysmostly Nos. 7 and 15, and a few 8s — one authentic, slightly faded jersey, which sold eight years ago on eBay for $2,100, will be prominent.

The burnt orange No. 13 jersey will honor former Broncos quarterback Steve Tensi (1967-70) and his most loyal fan, Roy Jacobsen, who will miss his first Broncos home opener in 45 seasons.

"Jake" died of cancer July 9.

"He was the best friend of mine I never met," Tensi told me.

Long before No. 7 John Elway, No. 15 Tim Tebow and No. 8 Kyle Orton, Tensi wore unlucky No. 13 and was intended to become the first quarterback to lead the Broncos out of the western wilderness.

The 6-foot-5, missile-armed, 24-year-old Tensi was acquired by the Broncos from the Chargers on Aug. 15, 1967, for two first-round draft choices.

The same season, Jacobsen bought his season tickets because he had high hopes for the Broncos and, especially, Tensi and rookie running back Floyd Little. The 30-year-old pharmacist moved to Colorado from Iowa in 1962 and took his first date to a Broncos game. Roy and Rose Marie would marry and have two sons, Tom and Phil Jacobsen.

Tensi, with wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, guided Florida State in 1964 to its first victory over rival Florida, and Tensi was named Gator Bowl MVP in the Seminoles' upset of Oklahoma, whose coach said the top quarterbacks the Sooners faced were Tensi and Cal's Craig Morton.

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Tensi was drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Colts (who had Johnny Unitas) and as the fourth quarterback in the AFL's draft. Joe Namath was No. 1 overall, and Morton was picked after Tensi by the Raiders (but signed with the Cowboys). After Tensi's two seasons in San Diego, the Broncos' new general manager and coach, Lou Saban, gambled his future on the quarterback.

But Tensi and the Broncos were drubbed by Oakland 51-0 in their second game, and they won only three — one a victory over Namath and the eventual Super Bowl champions on a Tensi touchdown pass.

Tensi was unpopular in Denver. "I played very inconsistent, and it was pretty rough on me. Our offensive coach, (Hunter) Enis (an ex- Broncos quarterback), came out of the press box at halftime one game, got into an argument with fans and was beaten up."

However, Jacobsen would defend Tensi to everyone around him at old Bears Stadium.

The next year, Tensi broke his collarbone in an exhibition, missed the first three games and returned midway through the fourth to produce a comeback victory. The Broncos won four of seven before he fractured the collarbone again.

Tensi was replaced by Marlin Briscoe — an exhilarating rookie who could run and throw. Sound familiar? Briscoe, the first black pro quarterback, passed for 14 touchdowns and scrambled for three. Briscoe was loved, Tensi loathed. Sound familiar?

Saban settled the matter in 1969 by shipping Briscoe to Buffalo and reinstalling Tensi as the starter.

Yet, Tensi won only four of 13 starts and just two in 1970 before being demoted. Tensi's final game with the Broncos and in football was his sixth loss in six starts against the Raiders.

"I had back surgery in Denver that offseason, but the injury affected my shoulder, and I just couldn't throw with strength anymore. I told Lou to find someone else. I was retiring," says Tensi, who quietly quit and sold his home in the Denver suburbs.

Six quarterbacks later, in 1977, the Broncos traded for a supposedly washed-up QB — that same Craig Morton, who was the starter as Denver reached its first Super Bowl.

Jacobsen never gave up on the Broncos or Tensi. When he mentioned Tensi at games, younger fans never had heard of him.

Tensi joined his father-in-law in the construction business in Miami, and the families eventually moved to the tiny (3 square miles) mountain town of Blowing Rock, N.C. Nobody there had ever heard of him.

In 2003, one of Tensi's grown sons (he has two, and two daughters and seven grandchildren) arrived with unusual news.

"Someone sold one of my Broncos game jerseys on the Internet for $2,100. What fool would buy that? Believe it or not, I found out years after that Roy's son bought it."

Roy wore the gift from Tom to Broncos game. A couple of years ago, Tensi "got a letter with a bubble gum (football) card in it asking for my autograph. The man wrote that his father was my No. 1 fan and was celebrating his birthday. Heck, I don't get many requests like that. Isn't that right, Barbara Jean?"

Tensi had turned from the phone to talk with his wife of 48 years. They met the first day of freshman orientation at Florida State.

"So I signed the card, sent it to Tom and asked for his father's number. I called on his birthday, and he didn't believe it was me. Anyone supporting me during those times in Denver deserved to be thanked."

Roy and Steve connected.

"Two old guys talking occasionally about life in general. He was from Rock Valley. I live in Blowing Rock. We had a lot in common. He'd tell me sometimes about the Broncos. Oh, I knew about Tebow.

"A year back, Tom called to say his dad had cancer. I prayed at church for a miracle."

Roy's condition worsened this year, and Steve began calling him every other day.

"I was planning to fly to Denver to meet Roy," said the 68-year-old Tensi, who hasn't been to a Broncos game since he left.

On July 9, "I finished weeding in the yard and called Roy. There was no answer. I thought he was asleep."

Jacobsen died almost precisely at the time of Tensi's call.

Roy's body was cremated. Steve sent orange-and-blue flowers, a note of sympathy and the words: "Go Broncos!"

On Monday night, the two friends, a Broncos quarterback and a Broncos loyalist, will be remembered when Tom Jacobsen, in section 318, wears the No. 13 jersey they shared.

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